Engvall didn't even bother to say "Excuse me!" because the greedy guy was too busy watching linemate Brock Nelson fire the rubber into the net before the puck even hit ice.
The Carolina Hurricanes don't like the New York Islanders.
Then again, if you played for Raleigh's favorite National Hockey League team, you wouldn't either.
Why would you if -- in the second period of last night's game -- if you were Carolina's Sebastian Aho and the Isles Pierre Engvall took a shot and the errant puck happened to whack him in the cheek.
Engvall didn't even bother to say "Excuse me!" because the greedy guy was too busy watching linemate Brock Nelson fire the rubber into the net before the puck even hit ice.
Even before Bruised Face Aho hit the ice as well.
Nah, you wouldn't like the Islanders either because they don't play fair. Look at the arithmetic. Those hard-working Canes took 36 shots at the Isles Ilya Sorokin and all the tightwad goalkeeper would only allow them two measly goals. That's not sportsmanship in my book but that's the way the Islanders are.
No, my Cane feathered friends, you're not the only ones who take issue with the Isles. There are media types all around who frown on coach Lane Lambert's idea of winning.
A fella from The Athletic recently did a whole essay about how disrespectful Islanders hockey is to the game. (As if Lord Stanley of Preston is turning over in his grave.)
Kyle Palmieri wasn't going to wax wroth over such nitpicking so he told the esteemed author Mark Lazerus: "It's part of our identity. We need to play like that to be successful."
Critic Lazerus, who has every right to his opinion, also told the Isles Resident Annoyer, Cal Clutterbuck, that the Nassaumen play an unfunny kind of game.
So, contentious Cal skimmed back a slapshot of a squelch: "It's fun for me."
And it also will be fun-to-the-radical 50 for the overflow crowd at UBS Arena on Friday night. That ism, as long as the home club avoids the Looney Tunes performance they presented --Ugh! -- last Sunday.
One thing is certain, Lambert will start Sorokin in goal once more and hope that he "steals" another game as he did last night. As Isles ex-netminder -- now Devils radio analyst -- Chico Resch told me: "Ilya knows he has to outplay the goalie at the other end of the rink for the Islanders to win. That has to happen for the Isles to upset the Canes.
True enough, Friend Resch, but there's more to it than that. To wit:
1. Mathew Barzal has to duplicate his back-to-100% game as he did in Raleigh.
2. The penalty killers -- they went four-for-four -- must replicate that effort.
3. Keep Morris Mentum -- alias "Moe-Mentum" -- on the roster.
4. Maintain the latest, new, Isles tradition; score the first goal.
5. Hope that Bo Horvat's game continues to soar; with a few goals here or there, if you don't mind.
Detroit's sage executive vice president Jim Devellano -- ex Isles chief scout -- told me he believes the Isles are good enough to beat Carolina.
Then again, I like the view offered by Zach Weinstock, who is sharing the co-authorship of the Islanders 50th anniversary book with David Kolb and The Maven:
"One thing that's certain," Weinstock concluded, "is that this wonderful era -- the
'Silver Age' of Islanders hockey -- is far from over!"